


Handmade Gifts

by CometEclipse



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 18:36:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8856445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CometEclipse/pseuds/CometEclipse
Summary: A gift inspired by and for Cute-Ellyna!
Ellyna and Cullen exchange handmade gifts on Satinalia!





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cute-ellyna (ellyna)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellyna/gifts).



It was a fun idea of Cullen’s; a little bit silly but very fun. They had decided that instead of buying gifts for each other, they would exchange handmade presents for Satinalia.

In the weeks leading up to the holiday, Ellyna would occasionally catch Cullen frantically stuffing something out of sight as she came to his office, and she certainly did her own scrambling when she heard the familiar heavy tread of his boots coming up the stairs. Each time they would have a silly grin on their faces, curiosity and shared amusement.

And now it was the evening of Satinalia, time to exchange the results of their efforts.

The festive air of the holiday had descended on Skyhold, and into her chambers. Some days ago, Ellyna and Cullen had created a mass of pillows and blankets before the fireplace, sharing warmed spiced apple cider or hot chocolate and cookies while relaxing before bed. It had become a haven, a cozy spot for the two of them, and so that is where they sat now.

Ellyna held the wrapped package behind her back, squirming as Cullen settled down across from her. An excited and mischievous grin was permanently plastered over her lips. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.

The firelight played lovingly over Cullen, sparkling in his eyes, and she waited only until he was down before bouncing and thrusting the package at him. “Here! Happy Satinalia!”

Cullen chuckled and slowly started to unwrap it, his eyes bouncing between her animated face and his present. Finally, a bright red color was revealed, and he lifted a soft material away. It spilled down, showing itself fully, and Ellyna had to hold in her laughter at Cullen’s puzzled, priceless, expression. “It’s a scarf,” she snorted through her giggles.

It certainly didn’t look it. Cullen held the narrow end, the bottom edge twice the size of the top. And throughout all of it there were at least a dozen holes from where she had dropped stitches. “Leliana was teaching me, but I think it is safe to say I am not very good at it. You don’t have to wear it in public,” She laughed, amused at her crafting un-talents.

Cullen’s chuckle rumbled through the room and he wrapped the red monstrosity around his neck. “I think it is perfect.” He leaned in for a chaste kiss and spoke against her lips, “I will wear it with pride,” he pulled back and bobbed his head in an amusedly resigned gesture, “and probably to quite a lot of teasing.”

They both laughed again, Ellyna scooting a little closer so their knees touched. She had chosen the color well, if nothing else, she saw with pleasure. The red was a lovely foil to his golden hair, and when it was wrapped around his neck like that, no one could see the holes or the mess she had made with the size.

“Now it is your turn,” Cullen said, and she was surprised to see that he looked nervous. Cullen carefully presented her with a small box, a big green bow tying the lid in place. Ellyna peeked up at him once before pulling away the ribbon and lifting the top. Inside was a roughly but intricately carved twist of wood, details engraved into the entwined loops, a long leather necklace attached to the work.

“In Ferelden, they are called love knots,” Ellyna raised her eyes to Cullen, saw him pull out a knot in the mirror image to the one in her hands from where it had been hidden beneath his tunic. “One half for you, and one half for me. They say that when a couple wears them, that they will be always intertwined, inseparable from each other.”

“Cullen,” she breathed, deeply touched. She immediately lifted the necklace from the box, slipping it over her head. She studied it; it wasn’t perfectly symmetrical nor entirely smooth, but she could see all the hard work he had put into it. All the love he had poured into the details.

Uncharacteristically, Cullen flushed, bright pink rising to his cheeks. He self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck, and then shyly said, “It’s also… when someone carves a pair of love knots and gives one to the person they love…” Cullen’s eyes locked with hers, the hesitancy and embarrassment fading away to be replaced by a steady warmth, “It is a marriage proposal.”

Ellyna sucked in a breath, blinked. A bubbling excitement grew, her lips slowly widening. “A proposal,” she repeated.

Cullen’s smile was growing with hers. “Yes.”

“Of marriage.”

“Yes.”

“With me.” She was almost squealing.

Cullen laughed and said, “Yes.”

Ellyna burst up, throwing her arms around her neck and shouted, “Yes!” Cullen toppled over backwards into the nest of pillows, his arms coming around her waist to hold her close as she peppered kisses along his cheeks, forehead, nose, lips, anywhere she could touch. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Cullen laughed, his grin so broad and open, and he captured her lips in a deep, satisfying, loving kiss. When they came up for air, Ellyna crowed, “Best Satinalia ever!” And then her fiancé pulled her down for another very thorough kiss.


End file.
